Myth of the Month 23: UFOs (audio lecture)

The UFO has been called a "technological angel" and the central mythic symbol of the modern age; we examine some of the extraordinary stories, from throughout history, of strange lights and objects seen flying through the sky, from medieval Italy to modern New Mexico, and consider carefully the problems that they present -- for historians, as well as for government, and for ordinary people who want to fit the strange and anomalous into our understanding of the world.
Suggested further reading: Diana Walsh Pasulka, "American Cosmic"; Vallee & Aubeck, "Wonders in the Sky"; Ross Coulthart, "In Plain Sight"; Graeme Rendall, "The Foo Fighters," Debrief Magazine, Dec. 2021.
Correction: The biologist to whom D.W. Pasulka refers as "James" in "American Cosmic" is Garry P. Nolan, not Craig P. Nolan.
Please sign on as a patron at any level to hear patron-only lectures, including the previous Myth of the Month on "Culture" -- www.patreon.com/user?u=5530632

Пікірлер: 8

  • @nickkerr7597
    @nickkerr75978 ай бұрын

    Thanks Sam for another absorbing lecture. I love the format. You are not only a brilliant historian but your lectures are intelligent and thought provoking with great story telling. Unique amongst your peers. I love seeing a new blue dot on your channel logo. I know I’m in for treat. Cheers

  • @grandiane5569
    @grandiane55698 ай бұрын

    "What do you mean, Diana?" .... Hilarious! Had me so in stitches, I dropped some stitches from my knitting.

  • @angel-_-_-_
    @angel-_-_-_7 ай бұрын

    This was fascinating. Do you think you could do an episode on vampires? There seems to be similar vast first hand independent accounts of them similar to UFOs or foo fighters.

  • @Historiansplaining

    @Historiansplaining

    7 ай бұрын

    Interesting. Can you suggest where I would find a collection of first-hand accounts about vampires?

  • @angel-_-_-_

    @angel-_-_-_

    6 ай бұрын

    @@Historiansplaining Sorry for the late reply. I don't know if there is any modern work done, but there is "Traité sur les apparitions des esprits et sur les vampires ou les revenans de Hongrie, de Moravie, &c. (Treatise on the Apparitions of Spirits and on Vampires or Revenants of Hungary, Moravia, et al.)" published in 1751, which contains "Historically recorded accounts of vampires between the 17th and 18th centuries". The work was reportedly favorably accepted by Voltaire. I guess my first comment might not have been clear enough, but what I was trying to get at is that just like how you mentioned there are numerous accounts of UFO type sightings throughout history, there does seem to be at least for a period of time, numerous independent accounts of vampire stories, all with somewhat of a similar theme. Just like with UFO sightings, it's not clear if they can all just be totally chalked up to mass hysteria. I wonder if actually the phenomenon of vampire sightings and other such creatures might be liked with the UFO sightings, if one were to be more inclined to the non extra terrestrial hypothesis

  • @Historiansplaining

    @Historiansplaining

    6 ай бұрын

    thank you! I know there have been theories about possible biomedical origins for the idea of vampires, it is certainly worth thinking about

  • @indigenousnorwegianeuropa4145
    @indigenousnorwegianeuropa41458 ай бұрын

    A human being is a large collection of atoms: there are more atoms in your body than there are stars in the entire Universe🫵

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